Farmin students blast off with Space Race’ press conference

(Photo by MARY MALONE)
Farmin-Stidwell first- and second-grader, and one third-grader, participated in a year-long “Space Race” in the schools experiential learning program, which culminated in a mock press conference Thursday. Pictured, from left, are Ari Higgins, Alexis Mart, Ava McLaughlin, Miriam Hammond, Connor McLaughlin, Emme Eppard, Alec Lieuallen, Ellie Manning, Damian Porter, Morgan Dail, Maggie McClure and Huck Mullen. Three students who participated but were not at the press conference are Juniper and Willow Rorman and Henry Dye.

(Photo by MARY MALONE)
Farmin-Stidwell student Huck Mullen, right, gets a mischievous look after he calls on his mom to ask the next question during Thursday’s “Space Race” press conference. Also pictured are his classmates and panelists Morgan Dail, left, and Maggie McClure, center.

(Photo by MARY MALONE)
Farmin-Stidwell students Damian Porter, left, and Ellie Manning, right, consult the internet for a question none of the students knew the answer to during their "Space Race" press conference Thursday.

(Photo by MARY MALONE)
Farmin-Stidwell first- and second-grader, and one third-grader, participated in a year-long “Space Race” in the schools experiential learning program, which culminated in a mock press conference Thursday. Pictured, from left, are Ari Higgins, Alexis Mart, Ava McLaughlin, Miriam Hammond, Connor McLaughlin, Emme Eppard, Alec Lieuallen, Ellie Manning, Damian Porter, Morgan Dail, Maggie McClure and Huck Mullen. Three students who participated but were not at the press conference are Juniper and Willow Rorman and Henry Dye.

(Photo by MARY MALONE)
Farmin-Stidwell student Huck Mullen, right, gets a mischievous look after he calls on his mom to ask the next question during Thursday’s “Space Race” press conference. Also pictured are his classmates and panelists Morgan Dail, left, and Maggie McClure, center.

(Photo by MARY MALONE)
Farmin-Stidwell students Damian Porter, left, and Ellie Manning, right, consult the internet for a question none of the students knew the answer to during their "Space Race" press conference Thursday.

SANDPOINT — The sun's surface is 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, Earth is 93 million miles away, and 1.3 million Earths can fit inside the sun.

These were some of the answers to questions aimed at Farmin-Stidwell Elementary students during a mock press conference Thursday, which was the culmination of their year-long "Space Race" program. First- and second-graders, as well as one third-grader, participated in the "Space Race" in the experiential learning program at Farmin-Stidwell, with teachers Laurie Stevens and Nicole Huguenin.

Twelve of the 15 students in the program held the press conference, where students, staff and family members posed as the press and asked them around 35 questions regarding "Space Race."

"Dr. Olson from Earth Magazine," school principal Erik Olson introduced himself to the kids, garnering light laughter from the crowd before posing his question. "I'm wondering if someone from the panel could tell me Earth's nicknames?"

"The blue planet," answered one student, while another gave a second correct answer, "The water planet."

Some of the questions had simple two or three word answers, but others required more detail. Ellie Manning described learning about the layers of the Earth, which they made a model out of play dough.

"The layers are the inner core, outer core, mantle and crust," Ellie said without skipping a beat before describing how they made the model, starting with a "ball of red play dough." The group added different colors for each layer, she said, and used blue and green for the final touches before cutting it in half to reveal the layers.

One member of "the press" asked panelist Conner McLaughlin to name something he learned during "Space Race" that surprised him.

"That Mars has an atmosphere," he said.

Some of the questions were answered by all the students, one of which was, "Jupiter is a large mass of swirling what?" — "Gas," the kids said in unison.

Name the four gas giants — "Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune," they again said together.

The students knew their stuff, too. They rarely referred to their notes and only one question was asked that no one on the panel knew the answer to. Ellie and her classmate Damian Porter looked it up on a tablet while the others answered a couple of questions in the meantime.

While the students all knew how many Earths could fit inside the sun, the question that stumped them, posed by another student, was "how many Earths could fit inside Jupiter?" The answer — 1,000.

The students worked in small groups on the project throughout the year and kept a "captain's log," Huguenin said. They used their imagination, problem solved, and learned how to use resources to their advantage, she said.

"They really got a lot of background knowledge through this project-based learning, and they were so engaged," Huguenin said. "It just adds that hands-on learning in science. Kids love to know about our world and our universe."

Share Now

Read More Local News

December 13, 2017 at 5:00 am | Bonner County Daily Bee
SANDPOINT — Don’t miss out on a chance to ski for just $10, as Schweitzer is offering a fundraising benefit for Community Cancer Services and Bonner Partners in Care Clinic on Friday, Dec. 15. All of...

December 13, 2017 at 5:00 am | Coeur d'Alene Press
Education leaders representing the state’s public universities and colleges are calling on members of Idaho’s congressional delegation to reconsider some of the changes Republicans are proposing for ...

December 13, 2017 at 5:00 am | Coeur d'Alene Press
COEUR d'ALENE — Road Runner isn't the only bird Wile E. Coyote is on the prowl for. Coyote and a pack of other canine decoys have invaded the front lawn of The Coeur d'Alene Resort and the docks nea...

December 13, 2017 at 5:00 am | Bonner County Daily Bee
SANDPOINT — An Oldtown man implicated in a wave of vandalism that washed over Priest River last summer has been ordered to serve 40 hours on the Bonner County sheriff’s labor program. If Tyler K. Se...